Witness liftoff of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A carrying the SES-10 communications satellite for SES. This communications satellite will provide television broadcast and telecommunication services for Central and South America.

This is the first reuse of a recovered first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX will attempt to land the Falcon 9 first stage on the autonomous spaceport drone ship (ASDS), Of Course I Still Love You, in the Atlantic Ocean.

LAUNCH VIEWING

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex offers the closest public viewing of launches with the purchase of a launch transportation/viewing ticket. Availability of viewing opportunities and locations is dependent upon the scheduled launch time and is subject to NASA and U.S. Air Force approval.

For launch transportation and viewing opportunities, tickets become available for purchase no earlier than 2 weeks before the launch date. You must purchase a daily admission ticket or an annual pass in order to use launch transportation/viewing tickets.

The tab to purchase launch transportation/viewing tickets will appear on the ticket web page as VIP Launch Viewing when tickets become available.

Ticket holders are transported by bus from the main visitor complex to special viewing areas, and bus boarding begins up to 3 hours ahead of the scheduled launch time. Since launch days often have many extra visitors, please allow time for travel, parking and entering the complex before boarding the bus for launch viewing.

Check back closer to launch date for updated launch time and viewing opportunities, or follow us on Twitter and Facebook for launch viewing announcements. Additional launch viewing located further from the launch site is available at the main visitor complex during operating hours with daily admission and does not require an additional ticket.
Launch date, time, and viewing opportunities are subject to change.

Launches can be affected by technical and mechanical issues as well as range operations and weather, either in advance or at the last minute. Learn more about our Launch Scrub Policy.

LAUNCH VEHICLE

Falcon 9 is SpaceX’s two-stage rocket manufactured to successfully transport satellites and the Dragon spacecraft into orbit. Currently the only rocket fully designed and developed in the 21st century, Falcon 9 delivers payloads to space aboard the Dragon spacecraft or inside a composite fairing.

With a minimal number of separation events and nine first-stage Merlin engines, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is designed so that even if two of the engines shut down, the rocket can still operate.

The first stage of Falcon 9 can also be returned from space to land upright on one of two autonomous spaceport drone ships (ASDS) in the ocean or on land at Cape Canaveral Landing Zone 1 (LZ1) with the goal of reusing the returned first stages. The second stage, powered by a single Merlin vacuum engine, delivers Falcon 9’s payload to the desired orbit.

In 2012, SpaceX became the first commercial space company to rendezvous with the International Space Station utilizing Dragon and Falcon 9. Although these flights have not transported crew, SpaceX is working toward their goal of transporting astronauts to space in Crew Dragon.